Grass: an absolute for some, a nemesis for others. A nostalgic part of the typical front lawn to one, but an annoying and expensive waste of space for another.
First up, Team Lawn. I did a little driving around some parts of town today that I normally don't get into. Our oldest daughter and I noticed that we were complimenting all of the properties that had nice green lawns. Nice green lawns are somewhat of a scarcity in my area this year, so to see one is a nice refreshing sight that seemed to beckon us. Everything else seemed to be in place if the lawn was large and lush. Personally, there is something that will always call to me to dig my barefoot toes into thick green grass. The traditional home pictured with a green lawn, children playing in the backyard in the grass, or just because it already came with the house- Team Lawn has a green yard, and they plan to keep it.
Moving on to Team No Lawn. When Dave and I bought our first house, we took frequent walks around our new neighborhood. One of those houses had taken every bit of their grass out of their 1/4 acre plot and installed astro-turf. The first time we saw it, we stared in total disbelief. Dallas was having one of it's famous heat and drought years, and while we strongly disliked the look, we did admit that their yard was a green color and the owners never had to mow! Since then, we've seen many variations of home owners not having grass. In some climates, they can grow succulents for their lawn. Some super gardeners have traded all of their lawn for more flower beds, and others are living in apartments and have adopted container gardening, and thus have no lawn.
| Trish |
"I am on Team Lawn. We purposely left off any landscaping or grass while building our house, knowing that we would be working on that slowly and steadily. Even given the choice and starting with a completely clean slate, I did really want to have a nice patch of green grass in the front of the house. Somehow, it just seemed right. I guess I'm just a traditionalist at heart."
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| Dave |
"I agree that a lawn is a wonderfully useful area for playing, walking and enjoying your property. At the same time, the modern concept of a lawn is a horribly expensive proposition, both financially and environmentally. Fertilizer, pesticides, frequent gas-guzzling fume-emitting machinery all poured into this monoculture just to keep it looking its best. My ideal would be an environment of many plants working together to provide beauty and function. A lawn that contains many "weeds" like clover, dandilion and things like that would be ideal. But this kind of lawn is frowned on by most lawn purists. So, I guess I have to be a member of 'Team No Lawn'" |
Each of these approaches are valid, and each carry their own beauty. Share with us: which Team are you on?
| Thread Title | Last Reply | Replies |
|---|---|---|
| Team "I don't have a single blade of sod grass & I love it!" by flaflwrgrl | Aug 15, 2014 1:15 PM | 43 |
| Team some and some! by okus | Sep 29, 2011 4:49 PM | 34 |
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